Kidlit Con 2010

*Thanks to Blythe Woolston for the idea for the YouTube clip on Kurtis’s blog. Very appropriate. The ghost of Ricardo Montalban will be hosting in Seattle next year.

KidLit Con Aftermath

2010-10-24T19:06:00.000-07:00

The Flickr Group.

The #tag

Coming soon, the PowerPoints.

Thanks for a great weekend!

Don't forget!

2010-10-22T03:41:00.000-07:00

The conference starts on Saturday at Open Book (home of The Loft Literary Center). Check-in begins at 7:30 AM. I We hope you can all make it tonight--Friday night--to a reception followed by a presentation and Q & A about online critique groups by Maggie Stiefvater, Brenna Yovanoff, and Tessa Gratton. The reception starts at 6:00 and is also at Open Book.

Here's a map from the conference hotel (an easy walk):

View Larger Map

Update: For those who are local or driving to the conference: President Obama will be attending a rally at the U of M on Saturday. While we don't anticipate this affecting much, it may be helpful to keep this in mind when planning your driving routes to and from Open Book (as it's not all that far from the campus). Basically, avoid the U.

Saturday Dinner

2010-10-21T05:47:00.001-07:00

The eating delights of downtown Minneapolis are many, and if you have extra days in town, I encourage you to explore (or ask me—I live to recommend). One dinner, however, is taken care of, and that’s Saturday night, when we close out the conference at Town Hall Brewery, conveniently located next the conference hotel.

The restaurant needs to know our order ahead of time, so we’ll be asking you to pick one of the following at check in on Saturday:

1. Raspberry Spring Chicken Salad: Grilled Cajun chicken on a
bed of house blend greens topped with tomatoes, cucumbers, red
onions, crumbled blue cheese and almonds—served with raspberry
cream vinaigrette on the side. Also available without chicken.

2. Seven Corners Burger: Our most popular burger… grilled ½ lb.
burger topped with melted provolone cheese; smoked bacon and
Oatmeal Stout BBQ sauce.

3. Fat Tony’s Sausage Lasagna: Homemade lasagna
loaded with Italian sausage, onions, mushrooms, roasted red
peppers, spinach, homemade marinara sauce and a blend
of ricotta, Parmesan, provolone and goat cheese.

Town Hall is a brew pub, so beverage options will abound—but you’re on your own there. If you’re bringing a spouse, let us know at check-in. We’ll collect $10 to cover him or her.

Any teachers or librarians want to be on a panel?

2010-10-14T11:48:00.001-07:00

I'm looking for a couple teachers or librarians who've got experience booking authors and illustrators for visits. I'd like you to join a couple authors and illustrators on a panel about how technology, social networking, and blogging have affected school and library visits. I'm really interested in people who've got long perspective on this. All you'd need to do is sit there and answer questions and participate in the conversation. Shoot me an email at akarre@lernerbooks.com.

Thanks!

More FAQs

2010-10-14T09:19:00.001-07:00

With the conference just a week away (eeek!), I wanted to address a few more questions that are cropping up.

1) Is the conference at the hotel?

No. The conference will be held at Open Book (details at this post). Open Book is a short walk from the conference hotel but there will also be a shuttle available to take attendees to and from the hotel.

2) Can I register onsite?

Yes. However, onsite registration will be cash only; no checks or credit cards. To be perfectly honest, we're not set up to take cash so exact change ($45 in any combination of bills) is greatly appreciated.

3) What all is happening?

On Friday evening (October 22), conference attendees are invited to a wine and cheese reception to be held at Open Book at 6:00pm. At the reception, we will distribute name badges and conference packets. Following the reception, YA authors Maggie Stiefvater, Brenna Yovanoff, and Tessa Gratton will be giving a special presentation (free to conference attendees) to discuss critique partnerships and their online lives as writers.

On Saturday (October 23), check-in (for those who didn't get their packets the night before) will start at 7:30am. Maggie Stiefvater will give the keynote address at 8:10am. Following that will be a series of concurrent sessions addressing a variety of YA blogging topics. Lunch will be served (courtesy of HarperCollins) and books of attending authors will be sold (lunch is a great time to have these books signed as well). The conference will conclude around 5:00, followed by a social hour, a reading by local authors, and dinner at 7:00pm. The schedule is available here.

4) I'm thinking about offering to host the KidlitCon next year. Should I schedule it the same month as my wedding?

No. (Many, many thanks to Andrew and Ben for holding the fort while I indulged in nuptials.)

--Brian

The Schedule (again)

2010-10-14T07:12:00.001-07:00

Thanks for all the feedback. Hope this is clearer.

And don’t forget, Friday night at 6:00 at the conference site, there is a reception for conference attendees followed by a special talk by Maggie Stiefvater, Brenna Yovanoff,and Tessa Gratton.

Hotel update

2010-10-05T07:02:00.000-07:00

The conference block is full, but the conference rate should be available again until Oct. 15 or until the hotel is totally booked, whichever comes first. So book now.

Other hotels in walking distance include:

The Aloft Hotel (across the street from the Loft; have heard they've got a low rate)

The Depot Renaissance

The Residence Inn

Here's a fuller list of nearby hotels (and by nearby I mean reasonably accessible from the Hiawatha Light Rail, which runs from the airport to downtown).

Finally, staying out by the airport or the Mall of America might get you cheaper rates and more options. Getting to the site by the Hiawatha Light Rail from either place is very easy. I'll post directions as we get closer.

Hotel

2010-10-04T06:57:00.000-07:00

I've heard that we may have filled up our block of conference-rate rooms--which is great, unless you don't have a room. I'm checking with the hotel on whether we might add rooms. Stay tuned. In any event, there are lots of nearby hotels. We'll get a Plan B if necessary.

The Schedule

2010-09-30T13:05:00.001-07:00

Still ironing out some details and there may be some additions, but this where we’re at right now for Saturday. (Presenters) are in parentheses; suggested interest groups are in italics.

(See most recent schedule post.)

I’m very looking forward to a great day of discussion. And don’t forget Friday night's festivities.

The Schedule...

2010-09-28T06:15:00.000-07:00

It's almost here, really. I'm just trying to confirm a couple more presenters and get all the stars properly aligned. Thanks for your enduring patience.

I can, however, announce a couple of special items of note for your scheduling pleasure. First, as you all know, our keynote is Maggie Stiefvater, and she'll be the first speaker at the con on Saturday morning. She's also graciously agreed to do a talk on Friday night for the general public. And she's bringing two friends. It will be at the conference site, and it will be free for conference attendees. And there will be a reception beforehand, exclusively for attendees. The talk will be at 7:00 and the wine and cheese at 6:00.

Open Book, the conference, site is easy walking distance from the hotel, and both are a simple ride on the light rail from the airport. If you're on a later flight into town, bringing small luggage directly to Open Book won't be a problem. You can check in after the festivities if need be.

We're also very pleased to announce that HarperCollins Children's Books and its The Page Turn blog are sponsoring a catered lunch on Saturday, so attendees won't have to scatter to find food. Thanks very much to the school and library marketing team at HarperCollins Children’s Books, Patty Rosati, Laura Lutz, and Robin Tordinis.

More soon!

Of interest

2010-09-24T12:13:00.001-07:00

Hello all!

We appreciate your patience as we finalize the details for the Con's programming. Turns out this is a bit more work intensive than we thought. We were very pleased with the number of submissions and the gamut of topics proposed. I think you'll be pleased once we get it all settled and up on the blog. We're up to 61 attendees now (all those lovely people in blue along the right hand side of the blog). If you know someone who has pre-registered (the people in red) but hasn't registered yet, give 'em a poke and tell them how cool it's going to be.

In the meantime, I thought I'd mention an event of note that will be happening in the Twin Cities during your stay. The renowned Guthrie Theatre is producing the world premiere of THE MASTER BUTCHERS SINGING CLUB, based on the novel by MN author Louise Erdrich and adapted for the stage by Tony award-winning playwright Marsha Norman ('NIGHT MOTHER, THE SECRET GARDEN).

The Guthrie is located one block over and one block down from Open Book, where the conference will be held (easily within walking distance of the hotel). You can learn more about the show (including cast information, ticket prices, run times, etc.) at the link above. If you feel you have the time and interest, consider getting tickets. You only need 15 people to get a group rate so if you're on a budget, ask around to see who else might be interested. The weekend of the conference, they have both a Sunday matinee and Sunday evening performance.

Stay tuned for conference programming news very, very soon!

Session proposals

2010-08-17T19:47:00.000-07:00

I'm sifting. Plan on hearing more early next week. Thanks for all who sent something (and for being patient).

-Andrew

A gentle reminder

2010-08-11T08:51:00.000-07:00

This Sunday (August 15) is the deadline for submitting proprosals for workshops at KidlitCon 2010. You can find information about how to submit a proposal here. Starting Monday, we'll be going through the submissions to come up with the program.

To answer a couple questions we've received of late:

1) Presenters MUST be registered attendees.

2) As this conference is not just about kid's literature but focuses mainly on blogging, proposals should incorporate some component about blogging or social networking. Workshops aimed solely at discussing books and/or writing craft may be rejected.

Looking forward to seeing more proposals. Keep spreading the word!

KidlitCon 101

2010-08-11T06:43:00.001-07:00

Of course, those who've been around the cyberblock once or twice know all about KidlitCon (which is why the excitement is so rampant. Rampant, I say!). But there may be one or two (possibly more...how big is the internet?) people who are wondering what this is all about.

Liz Burns graciously gave us her view of KidlitCon and an answer that most burning question of all: why should I attend?

So, Liz, in your own words, what exactly is the KidlitCon?

KidlitCon is where the Internet becomes real. Children's and young adult literature bloggers, who usually only have the time to meet and "talk" virtually on blogs, Twitter, Facebook, email, (insert technology of your choice) get to meet in person (wow, that person is shorter in real life!).

Because flying for hours and paying for a hotel "to meet someone I met on the Internet" is exactly what we tell teens not to do, instead of it just being called a meeting, it's a Conference. Doing all that for a Conference? People understand that.

Like any conference, there are panels and workshops that give bloggers both the chance to learn and grow as an audience member and as someone giving the talk. The panels are specifically for children's/young adult book bloggers, so covers both the subject matter we blog about as well as the technical aspects of blogging. Like any conference, part of the importance from attending is networking with our peers so plenty of time is also built in for that. "Networking" means talking while food and drink is around.

Who attends?

Book bloggers who blog about children's and young adult books. People who are interested in blogging about children's and young adult books. People who read book blogs. Authors and publishers and other industry folk. Actually, sometimes there are split sessions, with one talk aimed at the "book bloggers" and another aimed at authors/publishers, because while we have a lot in common, we also have unique interests and concerns.

I'm a bit fascinated by the marketing and advertising aspect of books, especially how book blogs are becoming part of the marketing of books. So, from that point of view, I'd add that booksellers and librarians would also benefit from attending. These blogs are what customers and potential customers are reading; these blogs have information that customers may want to know.

How will attendees benefit from coming?

Part of what I love about the kidlitosphere (that is, the online community of children's and young adult book bloggers) is that you realize "I'm not alone." Here is your tribe, of people with a shared interest! If you remember how awesome it was when you realized that? Think how more awesome it is when you meet your tribe in person. My friendship with Pam (MotherReader) is stronger from having met in person; same for Michelle (GalleySmith). When I get in new books to review, I'll recognize an author who I met.

Because KidlitCon is on such a smaller scale than the "biggees" like ALA or BEA, the chance of meeting people (during a workshop, or breakfast, or lunch) is much better. Which means that bloggers have the ability to really connect beyond just saying "hi". Because there aren't panels all over the place, it helps create a real sense of community over the time of the conference. If, say, people get together at night to hang out (with beer, wine, water or cola, whatever they prefer) it's all happening in one place.

I also love how KidlitCon is on a weekend. While I'm lucky enough to be able to take time off the day befor and after, being able to minimize the time I'm away from work (and the vacation days I have to take) really helps.

What has been your favorite part of each conference?

Meeting people in real life. Being able to sit down and have that instant connection. Also, always, I find out something new, something fresh from the panels.

What would you say to somone who is on the fence about attending?

Sometimes, you have to take care of yourself. What better way than spending an entire weekend with people who love what you love?

I'd also suggest that anyone who is on the fence about submitting a panel -- do it! Yes, it can be a little scary if you've never done one before, but you'll be in front of friends who are really interested in what you have to say. You couldn't ask for a more welcoming crowd. Also, it's great practice. This year, KidlitCon, next year, your local library conference, then ALA or BEA!

Some FAQs

2010-08-03T06:36:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all who've been submitting proposals and generating excitement for KidlitCon2010! If you were considering a proposal for a workshop/panel and hadn't heard the news. we extended the deadline to August 15. Still plenty of time to think through your idea and send us the form!

We've gotten some great questions via e-mail and, given that others may be asking themselves these questions as well, we thought it might be a good idea to post the answers here for all to partake.

HAS ANYONE SUBMITTED A PROPOSAL ON *** YET?

To be honest, we haven't had a chance to read through every proposal yet and probably won't until after the August 15th deadline. In short, we have no idea if a certain topic is represented at this point. Our advice is to put together a proposal and submit. If we have several people wishing to speak on the same topic, we'll see about putting together a panel so we can have several different viewpoints represented.

CAN I REGISTER ONLINE?

It's ironic that a conference aimed at people who embrace technology in the way bloggers have is going old school on this one but, no, we don't have online registration. The best way (actually, the ONLY way) to register is to click on the link above, print out the registration form, and mail it in with the check. Some people have e-mailed the registration form with a promise to send the check later. That's OK (for record keeping purposes, we'd prefer you didn't but if you do, we'll punt) but please know that you won't be officially registered until we receive the check and you get an e-mail saying you're in.

WHO ALL IS COMING?

At the right, you'll see a list of people in red who've pre-registered. Basically, they sent us an e-mail saying they intended to register once the information became available. It wasn't a commitment to attend, just a statement of intent. Of course, we hope that they're all able to make it but if their name is in red, they've yet to confirm. The people whose names are in blue are people who are confirmed attendees. That means they've mailed in their registration forms and checks and, barring cataclysm, will be there. Some of these people pre-registered, others did not. But they're coming and that's what counts.

DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT THE PROGRAM WILL LOOK LIKE?

Right now, our best guess is that we'll have a clearer idea of which sessions will be offered and what the schedule will be like by mid-September. In addition to the workshop/panel proposals, we're working on a few other ideas for making it a fun and productive conference. There will be a get together Friday night. There will be a conference on Saturday. That's all we can say for sure. But as we firm up plans, they'll be laid out here. Confirmed attendees will get an e-mail with final details closer to the conference date.

As more questions come in, we'll answer others in future posts.

Thanks again for your enthusiam and remember: SPREAD THE WORD!

Announcing our Keynote Speaker

2010-08-02T07:52:00.000-07:00

If the chance to visit the Twin Cities wasn't enough...

If the opportunity to meet face to face with fellow kidlit bloggers didn't immediately grab your interest...

If being part of one of the largest growing blogcons* in the world didn't trip your trigger...

...then you're sure to get your registration form sent in pronto when you hear that our keynote speaker for KidlitCon 2010 will be Blogger and New York Times Bestselling Author Maggie Stiefvater!

As an accomplished painter and musician as well as a writer, Maggie Stiefvater has been involved in art on the Internet since well before she hit number one on the New York Times Bestseller list. As one of the three Merry Sisters of Fate, she’s been channeling her creative writing into a critique group blog that’s gained legions of devoted followers. She’s also the creator of her own highly innovative and highly viral book trailers. Maggie will reflect on what she’s learned as a blogging artist. She blogs at maggiestiefvater.blogspot.com and http://www.merryfates.com/. Follow her on Twitter at @mstiefvater.

Maggie will kick things off first thing Saturday morning, followed by a full day of what promises to be innovative and informative sessions (judging from the fine proposals we've seen come in so far....but don't let that stop you from submitting a proposal; plenty of room for more!).

Stay tuned to the blog for more exciting announcements as we continue to firm up details for KidlitCon 2010!

*=No data exists to back up this "fact." I just like the way it sounds. And now it's on the internet so it must be true.

Proposals!

2010-07-28T09:00:00.000-07:00

Greetings bloggers!

We've received requests from people needing additional time to prepare their workshop proposals so we're extending the deadline to August 15. You can learn all about how to submit a proposal here. Put on your thinking caps and send us your best ideas.

It's that or you sit through Brian's three hour lecture entitled, "The History of a Paperclip," performed entirely in semaphore.

Registration and Hotel Information

2010-07-23T11:36:00.001-07:00

Pre-registration is now closed and it's time to register for KidlitCon 2010!

To register:

1) Download and fill out the registration form.

2) Mail with a check for $45 ($40 if you qualify for the pre-reg discount) to:

Brian Farrey
Flux
2143 Wooddale Dr.
Woodbury, MN 55125
(Please make the check out to Brian Farrey.)

3) We’ll confirm via e-mail and you're all set.

A block of hotel rooms has been set aside for the conference at:

Holiday Inn--Mineapolis Metrodome
1500 Washington Ave. South
Minneapolis, MN 55454
Click here to print out a hotel fact sheet.
Front Desk: 1-612-333-4646 Hotel Fax: 1-612-333-7910

Conference rate is $109 per night, which includes a free shuttle to and from Open Book (although, many will find the walk between the two more than manageable) and free WiFi.

Click here to book your hotel room online. If booking by phone, mention “Children’s Writing Event” to access the block and the rate.

Information on how to get to Open Book (the conference site) is located on the above "Getting Around" tab.

Find a conference buddy! Share a room! Most important: SPREAD THE WORD! This conference belongs to bloggers and will only be as strong as those who make it happen.

As always, shoot questions to kidlitcon2010@gmail.com. And keep an eye on the blog for other exciting announcements in the coming days.

Sunday is the last day to pre-register!

2010-07-23T09:59:00.000-07:00

We will be posting registration and accommodation information on Monday, which makes Sunday the last day to pre-register and get a $5.00 discount on the registration fee. If you've been hemming and hawing, now's the time to tell us you're coming and save a little moolah. You can still register after Sunday, but you'll pay full price.

Thurston says: "Full price? Good heavens, you sound like a Yale man!"

ALA bound?

2010-06-24T07:24:00.000-07:00

For those attending the ALA conference in Washington DC this weekend, Andrew and Brian will be manning our respective booths and we'd love it if you stopped by to say hello. The deets:

Andrew
Carolrhoda/Lerner Booth #2311
Monday

Brian
Flux/Llewellyn Booth #2940
Saturday and Sunday

Call for submissions!

2010-06-23T17:47:00.000-07:00

The Kidlitosphere 2010 Conference is now accepting proposals for workshops and panel discussions for the conference in October.

We’re looking for a range of topics aimed at both beginning and experienced bloggers. While we’ll consider all submissions and ideas, we are most interested in seeing sessions that address:

· Issues of diversity in reviewing/blogging
· Effective marketing/networking
· Ethics of book reviews
· Beyond the blog (vlogs, etc.)

Remember: this is YOUR conference! If there is a topic that you’d like to see addressed but don’t feel you’re able to present on, please shoot us an e-mail at kidlitcon2010@gmail.com with your suggestion. In a later post, we’ll list the topics that people would like to see covered and solicit proposals based on the requested list.

Please download and fill out the submission proposal form, then e-mail it back to us at the above address. Deadline for submissions is August 1, 2010. Our goal is to reply to all submissions by mid to late August.

Mark your calendars!

2010-06-21T07:18:00.000-07:00

Greetings, Kidlit Blogdom!

Welcome to the first informational post for the Kidlitosphere 2010 Conference!

This year's conference will be hosted by Andrew Karre (Carolrhoda), Ben Barnhart (Milkweed Editions) and Brian Farrey (Flux) in beautiful downtown Minneapolis.

Let's start with the basics:

Where: Open Book, Minneapolis, MN
When: Saturday, October 23, 2010

The rough schedule calls for a wine and cheese reception on the night of Friday the 22nd, a day of workshops and panels on the 23rd, followed by a closing conference dinner in the evening.

We're still working out the details of cost for the conference and hotel; we hope to have all the particulars very soon. Our goal is to make the cost comparable to past conferences. Once we've finished getting bids, we'll post registration information. BUT, if you send an e-mail right now to kidlitcon2010@gmail.com with the subject line "Intent to Register," you will receive $5.00 off the cost of registration.

Later this week, we'll be posting a call for submissions. This is your chance to submit ideas for workshops/panels that you'd like to present or organize.

Follow us on Twitter here: www.twitter.com/kidlitcon2010
And here's the Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kidlitcon-2010/137299689614524?ref=ts

Please note that THIS BLOG will be your BEST source for up to date information.

Lots more info to come in the next few weeks. (We're working on a few fun surprises...) For now, start spreading the word! Be a fan on Facebook! Follow us on Twitter! Let people know when the conference is and to start their plans to attend/present/support!

Watch this space!

2010-03-24T09:02:00.000-07:00

Information about the 2010 Kidlit Con in the Twin Cities is coming soon!